Tea Leaf Green

San Francisco's Tea Leaf Green has made major waves in the jamband community the last couple of years. The band, having received the Song of the Year award for its "Taught to be Proud" at last year's Jammys (an awards show for improvisational music), is now riding the crest of those waves with its latest release, Rock 'n' Roll Band. Recorded last May at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, Colorado, the CD showcases the band's phenomenal live sound and is the quartet's first release on SCI Fidelity Records, an indie label run by fellow jammers String Cheese Incident. The release of the CD coincides with the release of a concert DVD by the same name (incidentally directed by Justin Kreutzmann, son of legendary Grateful Dead drummer Bill Kreutzmann). The prolific band's ninth release in only seven years, Rock 'n' Roll Band has something for old and new fans alike. Tracks like "One Reason" highlight keyboardist/vocalist Trevor Garrod's impressive songwriting, while others such as "Jezebel" and "Devil's Pay" focus more on guitarist Josh Clark's improvisational guitar skills. Although inevitably compared to the Grateful Dead and Phish (two bands that actually sound nothing alike), Rock 'n' Roll Band is proof to any listener with a trained ear that Tea Leaf Green has developed its own sound and is definitely worth checking out.